This topic is actually from some math that I did last year after gathering statistics from the KSHSAA website. Just like this year, you smalltown posters got all antsy about how weak 5a/6a is, blahblahblah, and I refuted it. And while I didn't get 2nd place in any math bees, the math holds up.

To summarize the following post:
1) You can't declare one class more or less difficult because of losing records. People in smaller classes make varsity easier, and thus, are able to increase win totals by wrestling those with JV (or worse) ability.
2) 321A is hard. 4A is hard. 6A is hard. Even 5A is hard sometimes. (Ha--jokes.) Quit whining--each class is hard different years.
3) I hate math.

Enjoy....

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Hello, friends! This is Prant, coming to you from a computer that frowns upon posting on forums of any kind. And because I'm too poor to buy my own computer, I'll just have to post to you through our good buddy Jhris and his hamburger for now.

Earlier this evening, Aaron Sweazy posted about how 18% of wrestlers in 6a place at state. This, along with the never-ending debate of "which class is hardest?" got me thinking...And because I have no life, these are some rough statistics that I came up with.

And the hardest class statistically is:
(**Drumroll please**)

6A!!!! Now here are the numbers which back up my claim, and should forever end the "Which class is hardest?" debate.

6A has approximately 37982 students, while 5A has 23024, 4a 21264, and 321 approximately 29211 potential wrestlers. Let's assume half of those students are boys. The breakdown is like this:

6A: 18911 boys
5A: 11512 boys
4A: 10632 boys
321a: 14611 boys

That means (assuming only boys wrestle), that if someone-let's call him Prant Jr.-- moved from out of state and could select from any school, any classification, the breakdown would be this:

6A: 448 available varsity spots (32 schools x 14 weights)
5A: 448 available varsity spots (32 schools x 14 weights)
4A: 896 available varsity spots (64 schools x 14 weights)
321A: 3374 available varsity spots (241 schools x 14 weights)

With both of the above statistics and using the formula (available varsity spots/# of boys), if Prant Jr. selects a school from any classification, he has the following probability of making varsity:

6A: 2.4%
5A: 3.9%
4A: 8.4%
321A: 23.1%

That's almost a 1 in 4 chance of making varsity at a 321a school! But have no fear, 321a guys, your class is very hard to place at state! But let's look at little Prant Jr.'s options for making it to state first.

Let's take all those boys and divide that by the number of available spots at state--(in 6a's case 18991 boys/448 available state qualifiers and in 321a's case 14611 boys/448 available sq's) and we get the percentage of Prant Jr. qualifying for state, assuming he still has a choice of school classification.

6A: 2.4%
5A: 3.9%
4A: 4.21%
321A: 3.1%

That means statistically, 6A is the hardest class to make it to state, followed by 321a. Sorry, 4a, you guys are last--but not by much, so it's okay.

There are 84 available state medals for each classification. Using the above statistics for boys, and dividing the available medals by the available participants (84 medals/# of boys), we find out the percentage of boys in each class who actually gain a state medal.

6A: .44%
5A: .73%
4A: .79%
321A: .57%

And there we have it, folks! If Prant Jr. has a choice of any classification, he not only has the worst statistical chance of making it on varsity in 6A, but also in making it to state AND placing. 321a comes in 2nd, 5a in third (ha, yeah right), and 4a comes in last.

Now, if you were Prant Jr., what class would YOU pick? Certainly not 6a. You might not even make it out of the mat room there...

So with all do respect, Mr. Sweazy, your math IS wrong. Maybe now that I have wasted all this time, we can shut up. All you guys who think little schools have such a hard time at state- shut your cake hole. I'm no math major so this might not be exactly accurate (a few are averaged), but I think this proves my point. No class is harder than another--but if you want to go by math....well then. You have your answer.

Thanks, and have fun on the forum!

-Prant